The fall meeting of the United Methodist Judicial Council has ruled — late on Saturday night! — regarding a bishop’s decision of law over whether the conference board of ordained ministry “is required to ascertain whether a candidate meets the qualifications for candidacy and ordained ministry, including whether or not she or he is exhibiting ‘fidelity in marriage and celibacy in singleness’ or is a ‘self-avowed practicing homosexual.’

A link to the full ruling, and a statement from MIND, follow.

MIND Statement on Judicial Council Ruling

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

October 30, 2016

CONTACT:  Bruce Lamb, 917-580-0830

October 30, 2016 – The Judicial Council with this ruling has attempted to tighten the vice grip of discriminatory mandates in the UMC. In remanding the question of whether BOOM can legally recommend our LGBTQI candidates for ordination and commissioning while citing JCD 886 and asserting that the Board “may not… violate provisions of the Discipline,” the Judicial Council has washed its hands of the dirty work of enforcing discrimination and demanded that our bishop do it instead.

It is ever more clear that the only way forward for LGBTQI and their allies in the UMC is live in non-conformity with unjust rules. This ruling reaffirms our experience that all institutional channels of change are closed to queer people. 

The New York Annual Conference has a decades-long history of dissent from the denomination’s prejudice against LGBTQI people. Our Board of Ordained Ministry has embraced a path of non-discrimination, and we call on them now to reaffirm their decision.
We call on Bishop Bickerton to embrace and affirm their decision as well.

Read the Judicial Council Ruling here